Dynamic information storage or retrieval – With particular cabinet structure – Slotted for edgewise insertion of storage disc
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-31
2001-05-01
Miller, Brian E. (Department: 2754)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
With particular cabinet structure
Slotted for edgewise insertion of storage disc
C369S075210
Reexamination Certificate
active
06226249
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pickup unit for use in a recording/reproducing apparatus for inserting and ejecting a recording medium to and from an entrance to perform recording and/or reproducing of information thereon.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recording/reproducing apparatuses, such as VTRs, CD players, CD-ROM changers are constructed so that a disc placed on a tray is inserted into the apparatus, and the disc is clamped and rotationally driven.
In general, in the CD-ROM changers, for example, a disc placement section and a mechanical section are provided inside a box-shaped casing, and a tray-type magazine is loaded in the disc placement section from an insertion slot.
In addition, in the CD-ROM changers, a tray selected from a plurality of trays in a magazine M loaded in the disc placement section is drawn out by a tray loading mechanism, the disc is clamped within a pickup unit provided in the mechanical section, and the disc is rotationally driven by a turntable of the pickup unit.
The pickup unit includes a pickup chassis having a spindle motor mounted thereon for use in picking up and rotating the disc, and a moving chassis having a disc clamper, a driving force transmission gear, and a DC motor serving as a drive source.
According to the above conventional art, however, if the DC motor is mounted on the moving chassis, the DC motor section is projected and prevents a reduction in thickness. Thus, the DC motor is mounted on the pickup chassis, and the driving force of the DC motor is transmitted to the driving force transmission gear provided on the side of the moving chassis through a gear.
When the pickup chassis and moving chassis are constructed in such a manner that they can be opened and closed around a rotary shaft, if the driving force transmission gear and the DC motor for driving the driving force transmission gear are provided on separate chassis as described above, the pickup chassis and the movable chassis are inclined between the DC motor and the driving force transmission gear. Therefore, a universal joint and so forth are required for the unit and the structure becomes complicated, so that not only the cost increases, but also transmission reliability of the driving force is unstable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a pickup unit having a first chassis and a second chassis combined around a rotary shaft in such a manner that they can be opened and closed even if a driving force transmission gear and a DC motor for driving the driving force transmission gear are provided on separate chassis in order to reduce the thickness or the size of the unit, the mesh of a worm gear and an intermediate gear is maintained with a simple construction regardless of the open state or the closed state of the chassis and the driving force of the DC motor is positively transmitted to the driving force transmission gear, so that operation reliability of the driving force transmission gear is increased.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a pickup unit in which a clearance is secured between an inserted tray and a DC motor in the open state of first and second chassis, the tray and a disc can be inserted without abutting against the main body outer surface of the DC motor, so that a further reduction in the thickness of the unit can be achieved.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pickup unit in which a first chassis and a second chassis can be disconnected by sliding connecting pins, the first chassis and the second chassis can be easily assembled and separated, and components mounted on the chassis can be efficiently exchanged and repaired.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a pickup unit in which a first chassis and a second chassis can be easily assembled and separated by pressing connecting pins against spring members, and the connecting pins after assembly are positively connected by spring forces of the spring members without requiring a special fallout-preventing fixture.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pickup unit including a first chassis having mounted thereon a spindle motor for use in disc rotation and a DC motor serving as a drive source, and a second chassis having a disc clamper and a driving force transmission gear, the first and second chassis being combined in such a manner that they can be opened and closed around a rotary shaft, wherein a drive shaft of the DC motor is provided with a worm gear, and an intermediate gear meshing with the worm gear is provided on the second chassis to transmit a driving force to the driving force transmission gear, and wherein the axis of the drive shaft of the DC motor is placed in line with the axis of the rotary shaft.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pickup unit including a first chassis having mounted thereon a spindle motor for use in disc rotation and a DC motor serving as a drive source, and a second chassis having a disc damper and a driving force transmission gear, the first and second chassis being combined in such a manner that they can be opened and closed around a rotary shaft, wherein the DC motor has flat surfaces parallel to each other on the main body outer surface thereof, and the flat surfaces are mounted to the first chassis so that they are parallel to an inserted tray or the lower surface of the disc when the first chassis and the second chassis are in the open state.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pickup unit including a first chassis having mounted thereon a spindle motor for use in disc rotation and a DC motor serving as a drive source, and a second chassis having a disc clamper and a driving force transmission gear, the first and second chassis being combined in such a manner that they can be opened and closed around a rotary shaft, wherein connecting pins for connecting the first chassis and the second chassis are slidable in the thickness direction of both of the chassis.
According to a still further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pickup unit, wherein connecting pins are urged by spring members in the direction to connect the first chassis and the second chassis.
Other features and objects of the present invention will be made clear from the following description regarding the preferred embodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4627037 (1986-12-01), Tamaru
patent: 4680748 (1987-07-01), Kobayashi
patent: 4730300 (1988-03-01), Kamoshita et al.
patent: 4764917 (1988-08-01), Sugihara et al.
patent: 5204850 (1993-04-01), Obata
patent: 5301179 (1994-04-01), Okamoto
patent: 5909420 (1999-06-01), Nakamichi
patent: 5974017 (1999-10-01), Niioka et al.
patent: 0 518 259 A2 (1992-12-01), None
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Fields Kenneth
Miller Brian E.
LandOfFree
Pickup unit having a first chassis and a second chassis... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Pickup unit having a first chassis and a second chassis..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Pickup unit having a first chassis and a second chassis... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2562936